SHREVEPORT, La. — Shreveport police have identified a third suspect in an investigation into a series of organized retail thefts targeting major retailers across Shreveport and Bossier City.
 
Police said Monday that Toriano Polk, 41, has been identified as a suspect and is wanted on a warrant charging him with organized retail theft. Polk has not been arrested.
 
The announcement comes days after officers arrested brothers Jadarrius Bowers, 17, and Ladarrius Bowers, 22, in connection with the investigation.
According to police, the suspects are linked to about nine retail thefts in Shreveport and several others in Bossier City. Stores targeted include Target, Best Buy, Lowe's and Sam's Club along Youree Drive, as well as the Kroger on Ellerbe Road.
 
"In the past month, officers began to receive multiple complaints from different businesses throughout our area, most of them large retailers, of individuals that were stealing items," Shreveport Police Cpl. Chris Bordelon said. "They were able to piece together surveillance video that showed it was, in fact, the same individuals."
 
Jadarrius Bowers is charged with theft. Ladarrius Bowers faces six counts of organized retail theft and one count of misdemeanor theft.
 
Investigators say Polk is accused of stealing up to $5,000 worth of merchandise, while Ladarrius Bowers is accused of stealing about $9,000 worth of items.
 
Police said surveillance video helped identify Polk as one of the suspects.
"We can positively identify him from the video and say that they are, in fact, co-defendants in this case," Bordelon said. "What we're seeing is these are organized groups of people. You may have someone whose job is to drive, someone whose job is to distract security, someone whose job is to actually steal, and then they switch roles at the next location."
 
Investigators believe the stolen merchandise included everything from kitchen appliances to electronics and other high-value items that could be quickly removed from stores and resold.
 
Bordelon said organized retail theft has become increasingly common, with suspects often traveling across state lines to sell stolen goods.
 
"These individuals may commit a theft here in Shreveport, then go to Texas," Bordelon said. "They may steal items here and sell them in Dallas, then steal items in Dallas and sell them somewhere else."
 
Police said they are not searching for any additional suspects beyond Polk, but they continue to warn that organized retail theft remains an ongoing issue in the Shreveport area.

Originally published on ktbs.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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